Chapter 49

Chapter 49
HARLEY

Everything is chaos.

The boutique lights flicker above me as the werewolf’s grip tightens on my arm. My heart pounds like a drum inside my chest, and I can’t breathe—can’t think. The man’s words echo in my ears: “Roy wants her in chains. Controlled. Dead if necessary.”

And I can’t stop shaking.

I scream, louder this time, from somewhere deep in my chest, but it’s swallowed by the growls and snarls now filling the room. A blur of motion crashes through the boutique door. There’s shouting—low voices barking commands—then furniture topples, mannequins fall, and glass shatters as growls erupt on all sides.

And then—

He lets go.

I drop to the floor, scrambling backward on my hands, gasping, as the man who had me is suddenly tackled to the ground by a wolf with reddish fur streaked with black.

More shadows crash into the room. I see Connor’s face first—furious, sharp, his amber eyes glowing with lethal promise. Jasper and Kade follow, fangs bared, muscles coiled with rage.

The wolf that held me snarls as he’s slammed into a display rack. Connor growls, eyes burning gold. “Touch her again, and I’ll rip your spine out.”

“Too late,” the man gasps, bleeding from a gash across his temple. “Roy already has her scent.”

I can’t stop shaking.

It’s too much. I was almost taken. I was nearly—

“Harley.” Shane’s voice cuts through the noise, and suddenly he’s beside me, arms open, eyes searching my face.

I fall into him.

He catches me before I even realize I’ve moved, wrapping his arms around me like a shield. I clutch his shirt, burying my face into his chest, and the tears I’ve been holding back finally break free.

“I was so scared,” I whisper, my voice trembling, the words catching in my throat. “Shane, I—I thought he was going to take me. I couldn’t move—I couldn’t—”

He presses his lips to my hair, holding me tighter. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I swear, I’ve got you.”

I cry harder.

The kind of crying where your body trembles and your lungs forget how to work. He doesn’t move, doesn’t try to rush me or pull away. He just holds me, grounding me in a storm that had nearly swallowed me whole.

Over his shoulder, I see Connor slam the rogue wolf against the wall again, his patience clearly gone.

“Who else is coming for her?” he demands. “Who else did Roy send?”

The man coughs, blood staining his lips. “He won’t stop,” he croaks. “You can’t hide her. You think bringing her to parties, dressing her in little black dresses, playing house will protect her?”

Connor’s grip tightens, but before he can do more, Kade steps forward, fists clenched. “Enough.” With a single punch, swift and brutal, he knocks the man out cold. The body slumps to the floor.

The room stills.

Everyone’s breathing heavy. Broken shelves, overturned racks, and shattered glass litter the boutique. Somewhere, a siren wails in the distance, faint.

Jasper wipes blood from his knuckles and shakes his head. “This doesn’t make sense,” he says. “Shane, how the hell did you not smell a rogue wolf this close to you? You’ve always had the strongest senses.”

All eyes turn to Shane.

He still holds me close, his jaw clenched. I can feel the tension in his muscles, the heat of frustration in his skin.

“I don’t know,” he mutters finally. “I didn’t sense him until Harley screamed. It’s like—” He pauses, brows furrowed. “It’s like Caspian is weak when I’m in danger. When she’s in danger.”

Jasper crosses his arms. “That’s not supposed to happen. The wolf is strongest when protecting his mate.”

“I know.” Shane’s voice is low. “But mine feels… locked down. He doesn’t rise when I need him. Not the way he used to.”

Connor steps forward, wiping his hands. “It’s the curse. Whatever Roy did… it’s deeper than we thought. He didn’t just suppress your strength. He’s targeting your bond. Maybe even using it against you.”

Shane tightens his grip around me, his voice barely above a whisper. “He’s trying to break us.”

“No,” I whisper, finally finding my voice again. “He’s trying to own me.”

They all look at me.

“He doesn’t want to kill me,” I say, brushing my tears away, my voice shaky but growing stronger. “He wants to control me. To use me. Because I’m not just some girl. I’m…”

I swallow.

“A mystic witch.”

The room goes silent.

Jasper breathes out slowly. “That’s why. That’s why he’s coming after you.”

Connor nods grimly. “And why he’s sending wolves into human territory without hesitation. You’re not just Shane’s mate—you’re power Roy wants to possess.”

I look up at Shane, fear still lingering in my chest. “He’ll send more, won’t he?”

Shane’s jaw tightens, his eyes flashing with fury. “Let him,” he says. “Because next time? I’ll be ready.”

I believe him.

Even if his wolf is weak, even if he’s lost parts of himself—he still stood between me and the monster who tried to drag me away. He’s still mine.

And I know now—I’m not powerless either.

But as I look down at the unconscious wolf on the floor, a single, chilling thought coils in my gut:

Roy knows exactly what I am.

And he’s not going to stop until I’m his.